Board picks ParentSquare to replace Skylert for district communications

Dennis Elich, director of technology, told the board the district issued an RFP and evaluated vendors with staff, parents and community members on the panel. He said three finalists met requirements and ParentSquare best met the district’s needs for two‑way messages, group features and integration with the student information system.

Katie Carlson outlined the platform’s features: two‑way translation so a message sent in English is received in Spanish, ADA/web accessibility functions that can aid federal compliance, calendar and group management for teams and clubs, and logging of staff–family communications to preserve transparency while protecting teacher personal contact information.

"This is the only pros, I think. The goal of this is to consolidate…" Carlson said, describing the aim of reducing dozens of separate communication apps used by parents and staff. Dennis Elich added that implementation will provide multiple modalities (text, push, email) so recipients can receive messages in their preferred way.

The board voted to accept the ParentSquare recommendation and proceed with implementation. Administrators said contracts and migration plans will be brought forward for final approval and budgeting as needed.